Vol. XXV 

 1908 



] Adams, Ecological Succession of Birds. 119 



studied is the Michigan forest reserve on Higgins Lake. The 

 region was originally covered with White and Non\'ay pine, but 

 repeated fires first kill off the pines, later the oak and maple; and 

 finally the dominant vegetation is sedge, sweet fern, huckleberry 

 and prairie willow. AVith the fire protection afforded by the reserve, 

 Frothingham anticipates a reversal of the above succession of 

 destruction, and further remarks: "With the types of vegetation 

 which mark the different stages of the plant succession just described 

 there seem to be correlated certain definite bird forms. These 

 forms are for the most part such as frequent observations in northern 

 Michigan have identified as generally characteristic of the respective 

 environments." This is followed by lists of birds characteristic of 

 different kinds of vegetation. While these lists do not correlate 

 perfectly with the implied succession, yet the general statement of 

 the problem is clearly expressed. 



The burning of forests has long been known to change the char- 

 acter of the vegetation and fauna of areas, but this is often referred 

 to as the change of a "life zone." Thus Merriam ('99, p. 47) 

 states that a fire in the Canadian zone on INIt. Shasta is followed by 

 the Transition zone and remarks: "But in the meantime anew 

 growth of Shasta firs has started, and in ten or twenty years is likely 

 to overtop and drown out the Transition zone species, enabling the 

 Canadian zone to reclaim the burn. . . .But on the steeper slopes, 

 especially rock slopes, if the vegetable layer is burned off, the 

 (lower) zone which creeps up to replace the (higher) one destroyed 

 becomes permanent or nearly so ... . Deforestation of an area there- 

 fore tends to lower its zone position." Birds are not mentioned in 

 this discussion nor the relation of "zones" to the general problem 

 of succession. Such "zones" are thus only particular phases of 

 succession. 



It is thus seen from the above outline of literature that habitat 

 preferences have been outlined for a few widely separated localities 

 and for some agricultural conditions, but there has been no com- 

 prehensive discussion of the problems of habitats and succession, 

 even in a preliminary manner, either from a scientific or economic 

 standpoint. This fact seems rather remarkable in view of the 

 great utility of a knowledge of the general principles underlying 

 •economic practice. There are, however, certain phases of biotic 



